How To Get The Best Mileage With HHO
Hard acceleration or typical stop and start driving generally won't show any
improvement in mileage using HHO. I wonder why? Here's an explanation:
In a typical HHO system, there is no way to store extra HHO generated. So we never, ever have a surplus. Even after
long periods of engine idling, the total production of HHO has been consumed by the engine, provided the unit was
running during idle. So once you step on the throttle and the engine loads up as it picks up the full weight of the
vehicle to accelerate to speed, it gulps mostly gasoline, diesel or whatever the primary fuel happens to be. The volume
of HHO does not change in most HHO systems, so as the primary fuel is gulped by the engine during heavy loads, the HHO
is really an insignificant quantity to have any measurable effect on fuel mileage. Since in most HHO systems the volume
of HHO being generated is small, but steady, we need to drive in a manner to take advantage of the HHO and get the most
out of it. Here are some facts; driving with HHO yields the best results during moderate loads at a steady cruise
speed. This way the fuel consumption is moderate while the same amount of HHO is being introduced into the engine. At
this point the HHO begins to shine as a fuel saving technology.
The less throttle you give the engine, or the slowest speed you can drive while cruising, the better the mileage
improvement using HHO. As we already know, the HHO flows in at a steady trickle. Therefore the less throttle we give,
the more the HHO takes over in displacing the consumption of the primary fuel. So it goes without saying that if you
drive hard and furious or are towing a heavy load, it will be hard to notice any improvement in mileage from HHO. Those
that may have found a system to store excess HHO can dump that excess during heavy throttle periods to get better
mileage. But the average person does not have the ability to store extra HHO, so we must be aware of how much of the
primary fuel is being consumed before we expect the HHO to provide any improvements in mileage. So basically, we just
need to get to a nice cruising speed and drive very easy to allow the HHO to give us the best "push" it can.
For my mileage runs I usually take only highway mileage getting fuel before hitting the highway and generally
filling up before getting into lots of stop and start traffic to test highway only mileage. This way I have an apples
to apples comparison with very few variables to affect things. In other words, I'm at peak mileage and if any
improvement is to be noticed it should show up in this manner. Of course, there still are variables. Wind is one
variable that can affect mileage quite a bit as well as air and engine temperature. So if on a windy day my mileage
drops of a little, I'm not concerned as I realize wind resistance creates more drag on the outside of the vehicle
requiring slightly more throttle. All part of driving in the real world to be sure. But if I increase cruise speed, the
need to increase throttle will drop mileage. In a non-HHO vehicle driving just 10 MPH faster can increase fuel
consumption a quite a bit. Consequently if we are running an HHO generator increasing speed will not only drop mileage
figures, it will further dilute the meager amount of HHO we are generating making it difficult to notice any
improvement in mileage from the HHO. A more complex system that increases amperage/volts to the HHO generator during
heavy throttle may help override some of these problems. But most of us really don't have something this complex in use
so the point is moot at this time. We need to aim ourselves to the best mileage possible when using HHO and that means
being aware of how fast we are driving or how hard and often we are accelerating. Then we also need to be aware of the
total weight we are pulling including anything we may be towing.
To Get the Best Mileage Results with HHO:
- Cruise at the slowest safe speed
- Accelerate gingerly or moderately
- Reduce weight/load
- Avoid long periods of idling which consumes fuel with no benefit
- Avoid excessive heavy traffic or stop/start driving
In the "real world" we all live in there will be start/stop driving and we do need occasionally to tow or carry
heavy loads. Sometimes we just may be late or in a hurry and blast down the highway at a higher rate of speed. Just
remember that mileage will drop during these heavy driving periods and don't expect the HHO to make as impressive of a
difference in mileage.
Increasing electrolyte strength or reducing plate spacing will increase the amperage and also increase HHO
production. Removing one or two neutral plates increases amperage and HHO production. A lot of these factors change the
HHO generator's efficiency meaning the extra HHO will possibly be negated by increased load on the engine from the
charging system. It is best to start out with an HHO unit that has been tuned and tested to be at peak efficiency.
Increase amperage through electrolyte strength to get good volume of HHO. But if you switch the unit off and on during
engine idle and the engine idle is affected, the unit may be over running that size engine. Reduce total amps until
switching the unit on does not drastically load down the engine at idle. At this point you should have things properly
configured. When in doubt get help from other club members to determine how to "tune" or "setup" your HHO
generator.
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